In the Library of the
Castle Beyond the Goblin City, you wander through the
stacks, peering at each volume. They are mostly
curiosities, but there are a few volumes that look
familiar. Alice In Wonderland is among them. High on
a shelf, you see a book with black binding, roses
bordering the title on the sleeve. There's a puff of
dust as you drag it off the shelf, and you cough a
bit, the sound echoing loudly in the stillness of the
seemingly forgotten room. The letters on the binding
are in shiny silver and they read:

The Stories of Alexa Close

Odd. But just
as you begin to open it, you hear a sound behind you,
rather like someone clearing their throat.

Oops. Jareth's
caught you. He stands in the doorway, head tilted to
one side, eyes sizing you up suspicously. "And
what," he says, "do you think *you're*
doing?"

You hold up
the book and smile nervously, concerned that his next
move might just be to throw you out (or worse, dip
you in the Bog of Eternal Stench). He walks into the
Library.

"These,"
he says, touching the books on that shelf, "are
the stories of the Labyrinth Listians. You chose
Alexa's, I see. The roses rather draw the eye's
attention, don't they?" He plucks the book out
of your hands and turns it over in his own, looking
at the cover. "These are very special books.
Always growing. Always changing." He opens up to
a page and shows you what's written there. One word
is being slowly altered, the letters fading out and
fading back in as something else. Before you can tell
what, he closes the book.

"You can
read this, if you like. I don't really have the time
to entertain visitors...you know how it is. Since
that movie, every five minutes its another spoiled
adolescent girl wishing her kid brother or sister
away. So many mind games to play, so little
time." He shrugs elegantly and hands the book
back to you. "Well, then, happy reading."
Jareth turns to leave, but he seems to have second
thoughts. He glances back at you. "And, if you
don't mind, I'd appreciate you not sneaking around my
castle without permission.

"It's an
excellent way to land in a oubliette."

You try to
smile at what you hope is a joke, but he's already
out the door. You sit down in one of the old,
oversized chairs in the room and open the book to the
first page.